justice league of america – Nerdisthttp://nerdist.com
Sat, 10 Dec 2016 01:00:39 +0000en-UShourly1https://wordpress.org/?v=4.6.1DC Reveals Full New JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA Team Lineuphttp://nerdist.com/dc-reveals-full-new-justice-league-of-america-team-lineup/
Sat, 29 Oct 2016 01:30:57 +0000http://nerdist.com/?p=452499Hello comics fans, and welcome to your weekend edition of Comics Relief! To start things off today, we have news on the full lineup of DC Comics’ new, more diverse JLA…and there are some truly surprise members this time. Read on for all the details!

Final 3 Members of the new Justice League of America are revealed

Although four members of the new Justice League of America series were announced at the recent New York Comic Con, publisher DC Comics has now given us the full line-up of members for the new series, and rounding out the team are Black Canary, Batman (pulling double duty with the regular League), and…Lobo?!? Yes, the “Main Man” will be a member of the new JLA, a first in the popular character’s history. The three additions are joining the Ray, Vixen, Killer Frost, and the Ryan Choi version of the Atom on the team.

In an interview with IGN, writer Steve Orlando said “For some people, Lobo will be a hero. For others, he’ll be an anti-hero. It’s moving past these black and white definitions and realizing that you have to have a malleable idea to serve everyone instead of just the people in the mainstream. Lobo, I think there’s more to him than ever before.” You can see the cover for issue #1 of Justice League of America from artist Ivan Reis above. [IGN]

Mockingbird writer quits Twitter over online bullies

Chalk this story up to “we can do better, comics fandom. Mockingbird writer Chelsea Cain has deleted her Twitter account following online harassment and what she describes as “cruelty from misogynist bullies.” (I can personally attest to some of the comments being cruel, having read them. It was pretty appalling). Cain wrote Marvel’s recently cancelled Mockingbird series, and came to comic books after being a New York Times bestselling prose author who has sold millions of novels, and said she had never experienced online harassment like this before writing comic books.

After she deleted her Twitter account, Cain’s situation gained her massive support from comics fans, as well as comic creators and even Marvel Editor-in-Chief Axel Alonso. The hashtag “#StandWithChelseaCain” began trending on Twitter all week, and as a result, right now Mockingbird Vol 1: Let Me Explain is the bestselling superhero graphic novel on Amazon, and Marvel’s best seller too. In response, Marvel has now renamed and put together Mockingbird Vol 2: My Feminist Agenda collecting Mockingbird #6-8 and New Avengers #13-14, which will be out in April. So eat it, misogynists. [Bleeding Cool]

Titan Comics brings back Tank Girl in 2017

Speaking of badass female comics characters, UK publisher Titan Comics has announced the return of ’90s indie comics icon, Tank Girl, in a new series called Tank Girl: World War Tank Girl. Thiswill be the third chapter in the character’s current comics trilogy.

Written by co-creator Alan Martin and illustrated by Brett Parson, the three-issue series debts in February. World War Tank Girl will bring to a close the storyline that has been running through Two Girls, One Tank and the current Tank Girl: Gold series. You can see Parson’s cover for Tank Girl: World War Tank Girl #1 above. [CBR]

Star Trek: The Next Generation/Aliens crossover coming from IDW and Dark Horse

The series will be subtitled “Acceptable Losses”, and be written by the team of Scott and David Tipton, with art by J.K. Woodward, who previously collaborated on IDW’s 2012 mini-series Star Trek: The Next Generation/Doctor Who: Assimiliaton2. The Next Gen crew should be able to take care of those xenomorphs handily — after all, they have some experience with mindless HR Giger-esque drones hellbent on destruction. Star Trek: The Next Generation/Aliens will launch in April 2017. You can read our full story on the new comic here: [Nerdist]

Pasqual Ferry set to launch Alice in Wonderland inspired series

Veteran comic book artist Pasqual Ferry has revealed plans to release a creator-owned series called Alice, inspired by Lewis Carroll’s classic Alice in Wonderland. This was announced via comic book crowdfunding website Spaceman Project, and Ferry has set a goal of $40,000 to bring this new comic to life.

The Spanish artist said “for many years, I used to work on my own stories and I never managed to finish them. My work in the U.S. absorbed most of my time, all of my time really. Now, after a break in my American production, I’ve finally decided to finish one of those stories.”

Although it is inspired by the original novel, Ferry says his project is “not another version of Alice in Wonderland, although it includes some of its characters and settings.” The OGN will star a different girl, who also is named Alice, whose mother uses the classic novel as a way to communicate with her young daughter. Ferry explains that “the characters from Carroll’s novel all appear in Alice’s dreams, not in reality.” Should the project be funded, it is expected to be released in March 2018. You can see early art for the potential series above. [CBR]

Marvel brings back long gone New Universe heroes

Back in the mid to late ’80s, Marvel Comics could seemingly do no wrong. That is, until 1986, when the publisher launched a “New Universe”, a whole new line of comics with new heroes. The Marvel fans outright rejected these, and sales tanked. Although some New Universe characters popped up here and there since then, it’s always seemed like the “New Coke” of comics.

But some people fondly remember the New Universe, including Ultimates creative team of Al Ewing and Christian Ward, who in Ultimates #12 this week introduced team of familiar heroes, all based on New Universe characters. Code-named The Troubleshooters, the US Government is using these characters to replace the Ultimates as a new government sanctioned team. Will these characters fare better with the public a second time around? Only time will tell. [Comics Alliance]

Caliber Comics to release five new OGNs in 2017

Longtime publisher Caliber Comics, which was recently revived after a long hiatus, has announced five new high profile OGNs for February, 2017. Among them are Renfield, from writer Gary Reed (Deadworld) and artist Galen Showman (Star Wars) about Dracula’s servant from Bram Stoker’s novel (you can see the cover above). The Tower of the Comic Book Freaks: Fourth of July, 1971, by writer/artist Ron Kasman, and SixSmiths Volume 1, from writer Jason Franks and artist J. Marc Schmidt, about a family of suburban Satanists. For more info on these, and the three other new OGNs from Caliber, click on the following link: [Bleeding Cool]

]]>Marvel Announces the Return of the X-MEN: BLUE and GOLD Teams in 2017http://nerdist.com/marvel-announces-the-return-of-the-x-men-blue-and-gold-teams-in-2017/
Sat, 22 Oct 2016 01:30:00 +0000http://nerdist.com/?p=450617Welcome to your weekend edition of Comics Relief, fangirls and fanboys! In today’s edition, we’ve got news on the X-Men’s classic team line-ups making a comeback in 2017. Read on for all the details.

Marvel Brings Back X-Men Blue and Gold Teams in ResurrXion

It seems Marvel’s ResurrXion isn’t going to just be bringing back dead X-Men to life, or give a couple of team members solo series like Iceman and Jean Grey. It seems they are trying to resurrect the entire glory days of the X-Men franchise, and in doing so, Marvel has announced X-Men: Blue and X-Men: Gold, two all-star teams coming in 2017. The color coded X-teams were what the team went by in the early ’90s Chris Claremont/Jim Lee era…when they were selling hundreds of thousands of copies per issue. I’d want to go back to that time too.

In an announcement on Marvel.com, editors Mark Paniccia and Daniel Ketchum revealed the two new team books, as well as the general mission statement and tone of the ResurrXion relaunch. Editor Mark Paniccia said “the X-Men are heroes. These mutants have saved the world enough times, they deserve to be called what they are,” Ketchum added that at the end of Inhumans vs. X-Men, “The X-Men have a future… Extinction is no longer staring them in the face, and ResurrXion is designed to see what they do with it.” Paniccia promises a return to what made X-Men the most popular comics for a couple of decades, with “adventures, groundbreaking science fiction, heartbreaking romance, element of surprise.”

The two team books will have all-star lineups. Marvel didn’t say which characters would be part of the lineups yet, but they did tease this about the X-Men ResurrXion: “These new titles won’t cast the X-Men as members of a species fighting for their survival but rather as big, bright, colorful super heroes who want to demonstrate to the world that they want to walk with them hand-in-hand into the future. They’ll have costumes with capes, a school, and softball games. Oh, there will be softball games. The goal is to tell exciting new X-Men stories while keeping an eye on the tropes and touchstones that longtime X-Men fans cherish.” Oh, and there was this little tidbit thrown in too — “It’s always the Phoenix. Always.” [Marvel.com]

Artist J. Scott Campbell is known for his drawings of impossibly skinny (yet buxom) women in sexy poses, and yet it seems he’s always getting trouble for drawing just that — impossibly skinny (yet buxom) women is sexy poses. The latest Campbell cover to get pulled before release day (only a day after the cover was revealed) is Midtown Comic’s retailer exclusive Invincible Iron Man #1 variant. The cover portrays teenage the teenage Ironheart Riri Williams in what several readers interpret to be a sexualized depiction of the character.

Marvel and Midtown decided to pull the cover before it ever hit in a joint decision. Another variant, which will be depicting the same pose, but with Riri in full Ironheart armor, will still be released by Midtown. But you can see the original cover above. [CBR]

New Justice League of America Variant Cover Gives Us A Good Look At Killer Frost

Right before New York Comic Con, DC Comics revealed four members of their upcoming Justice League of America title. Among those heroes was an actual villain — Caitlin Snow, better known as Killer Frost. Caitlin Snow has surged in popularity in recent years thanks to her use on the Flash TV show.

Now, DC has released a variant edition cover for Justice League of America: Killer Frost one-shot, with art by Mirka Andolfo. January 18’s Justice League of America: Killer Frost will be written by Steve Orlando and Jody Houser. Mirka Andolfo will illustrate the one-shot, with Reis providing the main cover, as he will for all the one-shots. You can see the new cover above. [Newsarama]

Civil War II #7 Release Date Gets Pushed Up

Here’s a comic book news item we rarely report here – but it seems the folks at Marvel Comics are actually moving the release date for Civil War II #7 up. Yeah, you read that correctly, it’ll actually be coming out sooner. The new release date is Nov. 23, moved from its previous release date of Nov. 30. Marvel’s press release reads, “Even Ulysses couldn’t have predicted this!” Brian Bendis‘ and David Marquez’Civil War II has already added an extra issue, going from seven issues to eight, and pushed back its final issue to December. [Nerdspan]

Dark Horse Comics Might Bring Back Retro Sci-Fi Titles

It seems publisher Dark Horse Comics about to bring back some old school comic book titles dormant since the ’50s and ’60s? Over the past week, the publisher has registered trademarks for both Adventures Into The Unknown! and Forbidden Worlds, two classic sci-fi and horror titles that were published during the 1950s (Forbidden Worlds ran for 145 issues between 1951 to 1967, and Adventures ran from 1948 and Aug. 1967). Now in the past, Dark Horse has reprinted those titles in archive editions, but registering the trademarks suggests that they have new content with those titles attached on the way at some point. [Bleeding Cool]

Valiant Comics Teases Harbinger Wars 2

Publisher Valiant Comics is already teasing their next major event to fans. Named Harbinger Wars 2, it will spin out of events and storyline from next month’s Harbinger Renegade series. Interestingly, it seems Valiant is teasing this series way out in advance, as the promo mage says coming in 2018. You can see the promo image above. [CBR]

Generation X and Cable Return as Part of ResurrXion

Along with the announcements for new ongoing series for the X-Men, Marvel this week announced plans to bring back one of their most popular titles from the ’90s – Generation X. Originally a ’90s update of the ’80’s junior X-team The New Mutants, this group of students was led by a reformed Emma Frost and Banshee, and introduced mutants like Chamber and Husk to the Marvel universe. These students have long since become regular X-Men, so I’ll be curious as to what this title will consist of. Also, with a name like Generation X, shouldn’t all these kids be in their forties by now??

Also making a comeback (as it seems all ’90s X-Men things are) is Cable, who is set to get a new ongoing series once again. Just like Generation X, we have no creative team for this book yet, just an announcement that its on its way. What other ’90s mutant books could be making a comeback? I imagine we’ll find out when ResurrXion gets underway. In the meantime, you can see the announcement images for both series in our gallery below. [Nerdist]

]]>Meet DC’s New JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA Comic Book Teamhttp://nerdist.com/justice-league-of-america-dc-comic-book-team/
Mon, 03 Oct 2016 21:30:04 +0000http://nerdist.com/?p=444715Ahead of this upcoming weekend’s New York Comic Con, publisher DC Comics has officially announced the release date and creative team for their new ongoing Justice League of America title. The comic was first revealed during the inital DC Rebirth announcement back in the spring, but was not among the initial offerings when Rebirth launched in May, leading many to wonder if DC was sticking with just one Justice League title after all.

Along with the creative team, DC has announced the first four members of the JLA, and it looks like for this group of heroes, the publisher is embracing diversity in a big way. Each of the four initial new members is getting a special one-shot issue in January, reintroducing the character to the DCU before Justice League of America launches the next month, as a twice monthly title.

First out of the gate is The Atom, who will star in January 4’s Justice League of America: The Atom one-shot, which will be written by Orlando and an undisclosed artist. Thanks to Comic Vine, we’ve learned that this Atom will be the Asian-American Ryan Choi version, who is described as “a prodigious theoretical physics student, hyper-allergic, and crippling social anxiety sufferer. But little does young Ryan know, his first day at Ivy University will begin an epic journey that will take the all-new Atom into the very heart of the DC Universe.” The Ryan Choi character was re-introduced in the DC: Rebirth Special back in May.

Next up on January 11 will be the Justice League of America: Vixenone-shot, also being written by Orlando, along with Jody Houser, and with Jamal Campbell on art duties. According to DC’s description, (via CBR) “She’s one of the country’s most successful businesswomen, an iconic fashion pioneer, a crusader for social justice, and an incredibly powerful member of the Justice League of America. But Mari McCabe life wasn’t always this way. Follow her path to becoming the heroic Vixen in this crucial special!”

It should be noted, that in the old, pre-New 52 continuity, Vixen was the first African-American member of the JLA, joining back in 1984. You can see new promo art from Jamal Campbell for Vixen’s one-shot below:

On January 18, Justice League of America: The Ray will hit comic shops, and will be written by Orlando on his own, with Green Arrow artist Stephen Byrne providing the artwork, according to Comics Alliance. This will star Joe Quesada and Jack C. Harris’ iteration of the character from back in the early ’90s namaed Ray Terrell (son of the original Ray from the 1940s). For a recently announced online animated series for the CW Seed, this version of The Ray was announced as being gay, so I have a strong feeling the comics version will be as well. DC has revealed new promo artwork for The Ray’s one-shot from artist Stephen Byrne.

Maybe the biggest surprise so far? Longtime villainess Killer Frost changing her evil ways and joining the good guys. In the comics, Killer Frost’s civilian name is Caitlin Snow, and of course, the character of Caitlin Snow has gone on to mainstream fame as one of the good guys on “Team Flash” on the CWFlash TV series, played by Danielle Panabaker (on TV, her Killer Frost identity is a version of her from an alternate universe).

Via Newsarama, we’ve learned that also coming out on January 18 will be the Justice League of America: Killer Frost one-shot, whichwill again be written by Orlando and Jody Houser, with artist Mirka Andolfo illustrating. This Killer Frost is a member of Amanda Waller’s Suicide Squad, but is due for parole from Belle Reve Prison. According to DC’s description, “Killer Frost is up for parole from the Suicide Squad, but you can bet Amanda Waller isn’t going to make it easy for Frost to take her place on the new JLA.”

In the earlier days of the New 52, a Justice League of America title was launched a governement backed team of heroes, meant as a response to the Justice League that had DC’s biggest guns like Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman. This team was made up of characters like Martian Manhunter, Green Arrow, Catwoman, Hawkman, Stargirl, and Katana. Could this new JLA be another attempt at a government sponsored League? And could some of those characters be returning to the fold?

DC will reveal more members of this new JLA soon, saying in a statement that “these four will be joined by more team members — DC isn’t done stocking the JLA roster. More heroic DC leaders, more of the characters you love, and maybe a few out-of-this-world surprises will follow these four to the pages of Justice League of America in February. Stay tuned!” More JLA information will be revealed on the “DC All Access” panel at New York Comic Con on Thursday, October 6. In the meantime, you can check out the covers for the recently revealed Justice League of America one-shots in our gallery below.

What do you think of the newest Justice League of America line-up thus far? And who do you want to see on the team? Let us know your thoughts down below in the comments.

Images: DC Comics

]]>Comics Relief: DC Cancels Bryan Hitch’s JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICAhttp://nerdist.com/comics-relief-dc-cancels-bryan-hitchs-justice-league-of-america/
Sun, 05 Jun 2016 00:00:04 +0000http://nerdist.com/?p=408411Hello comics fans, and welcome to your weekend edition of Comics Relief! Before we get started today, I must once again issue a bit of a SPOILER WARNING first — we’ll be talking about big reveals from last week’s DC Rebirth comics, so if you’ve somehow managed to avoid spoilers for those books, go read those comics and then come back. Got it? Great. Now let’s get this show on the road…

Bryan Hitch’s Last 5 Issues of Justice League Get Canceled

The currentJustice League of America title by Bryan Hitch has been one of the highlights of the past year of DC Comics, placing DC’s “Big Seven” heroes in big, larger than life stories that recall the best of Grant Morrison’sJLA era. But Bryan Hitch is a notoriously slow artist, and on top of it all, he’s also writing the book. And with his new Rebirth Justice League series (which he is just writing, not illustrating) about to hit, the final five issues of the previous Justice League of America have been badly delayed. And now, mid-story, they’re being outright canceled.

DC Comics have just announced the cancellation of the final five solicited issues of Justice League of America, issues #9 through #12, plus Justice League of America Annual #1, although DC is telling retailers they “will be resolicited at a later date.” Covers and solicitations have been released for all five issues, and the last issue, #8, ended with the death of Superman. We know he has to get better though, because he died again in Superman#52. Hitch’s JLA series has been a highlight of the New 52/DCYou era and we hope it will get a proper conclusion at some point. [Newsarama]

Latest Civil War II Image Teases More Character Deaths

If you caught the first issue of Marvel’sCivil War II from Brian Michael Bendis, you know there were two major casualties of classic Marvel heroes. One died, and one was severely injured and might die (I won’t say who, you’re just going to have to buy the issue). Now Marvel is teasing another major character death for issue #3 of Civil War II, and have released this teaser, asking the question, “Who will fall?” Which of course then leads to the question “How long before they get back up?” You can check out the latest teaser image below: [Newsarama]

ONI Press’ Fresh Romance Print Edition Gets SDCC Special Cover

Oni Press’ romantic anthology series Fresh Romance, created mostly by women, made quite a splash last year as a digital-first series, curated and published by Janelle Asselin. Now the print collection is slated to be published and in stores on August 10th 2016. However, certain lucky attendees of San Diego Comic-Con will be able to pick up their copy three weeks early at Oni Press’s booth #1833 from 20th July. The SDCC exclusive variant will also feature a cover by Babs Tarr, which you can check out below. [Bleeding Cool]

The first big reveal of the DC Universe: Rebirth one-shot from Geoff Johns was the long, long awaited return of Wally West to the DC Universe. Now DC is celebrating that return with a special cover for the third printing of the one-shot, with Wally West front and center, trying to escape the Speed Force back into our dimension. You can check out the Wally-centric cover by artist Gary Frank and colorist Alex Sinclair below: [Comic Book Resources]

Watchmen Co-Creator Wasn’t Consulted by DC About Their Big Plans for Dr. Manhattan

And while we are on the subject of Rebirth, The second big reveal at the end of last week’s DC Universe Rebirth was the revelation that Watchmen’s Dr. Manhattan was the omnipotent being that has been manipulating the DC timeline and created the New 52 universe. The inclusion of a Watchmen character in a DCU story is a big deal and has never been done before. While Alan Moore hates DC quite publicly and was no doubt not consulted about it, what about artist Dave Gibbons, Dr. Manhattan’s co-creator?

Well, in an interview during MCM London Comic Con recently, several reporters asked Gibbons about the fact that Dr. Manhattan was going to be a part of the actual DC Universe, and an adversary at that. He then told the reporters “no comment,” and when a follow-up question asked if DC had even sent him an email about using Dr. Manhattan, he replied, “No, they didn’t.” Time to make some calls, DC. You already have one Watchmen co-creator hating on you…you don’t want two. [Comics Beat]

Latest Humble Bundle is Perfect for Old School Ghostbusters Fans

Some people are having a very traumatic time over the concept of any new Ghostbusters hitting the big screen again (you know who you are). But if you are a die-hard, old school Ghostbusters fan and want to express your love for Peter Venkman, Ray Stantz, Egon Spengler and Winston Zeddemore, then I suggest you check out the current Humble Bundle for Ghostbusters comics from IDW, featuring the characters from the original films and animated series. Right now for just $15 bucks, you can get a ton of classic Ghostbusters material, including the X-Files crossover issue. (Yes, there was one.) You can check out the Bundle right here. [Comics Alliance]

New ROM Series from IDW Gets Huge Amount of Variant Covers for Issue #1

ROM, the late seventies/early eighties toyline about a badass space knight–and which was a very successful Marvel comic for years–is now joining his Hasbro siblings in a new IDW series this July. Along with the first issue comes a huge amount of variant covers. Among the names doing variants for ROM #1 are Rob Liefeld, Dave Messina, Dave Dorman, Michael Golden and a whole lot more. You can check out some of the covers in our gallery below, and for the rest, click on the following link: [Bleeding Cool]

Images: DC Comics / IDW / Marvel Comics / Oni Press

Might there also be big-screen plans for ROM sooner than later? Here’s what we know:

]]>Preview: DC Comics’ JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #4http://nerdist.com/preview-dc-comics-justice-league-of-america-4/
Thu, 15 Oct 2015 03:30:31 +0000http://nerdist.com/?p=320039Superman will bleed in Justice League of America #4. Well, he’ll do it of his own volition if we’re being technical. With Superman’s previously predicted death looming large on the horizon, the Man of Steel is giving a vial of his blood to Cyborg in order to see if there’s any way to stop it. However, they’re going to have to work quickly because the Church of Rao is gaining strength and followers every moment. To make matters worse, The Flash is still lost in time. Will the Scarlet Speedster be able to rejoin his teammates before its too late? Is Superman doomed? Should the Church of Rao be tax-exempt? Most of these questions will be answered in our preview of Justice League of America #4, which is available in stores now.

Writer: Bryan Hitch

Artist: Daniel Henriques, Bryan Hitch

Cover Artist: Bryan Hitch

Variant Cover: Alex Garner

Here’s the official synopsis:

“As The Flash struggles to get back to the present, the rest of the team regroups for a rematch against the overwhelming forces of the Church of Rao. And, as foreshadowed in issue #1, they must also consider how to prevent the seemingly inevitable death of Superman!”

]]>Comics Relief: Bryan Hitch’s New JUSTICE LEAGUE, ALL-NEW MARVEL & Morehttp://nerdist.com/comics-relief-bryan-hitchs-new-justice-league-all-new-marvel-more/
Sun, 24 May 2015 01:00:10 +0000http://nerdist.com/?p=257285Welcome to the weekend edition of Comics Relief, where in today’s installment we’ve got news on Bryan Hitch’s epic new take on the classic version of the Justice League of America, plus Thanos’ creator returns to draw his baby, and a special effects legend pays homage to the Joker. First off though, we’ve got the latest tease on what to expect from the Marvel universe once Secret Wars wraps up…

After Secret Wars Ends, Prepare For “All-New Marvel”

We know that after Secret Warsends, the Marvel Universe will jump forward eight months in time, giving us an all-new status quo. Just what that stats quo is remains a mystery for now, although there are heavy hints from the publisher that many refugees from the Ultimate Universe and other realities will be inhabiting the mainstream Marvel Universe. This week Marvel announced the company branding for their new initiative, so say goodbye to “Marvel NOW!” and hello to “All-New, All-Different Marvel”. More details are expected soon, but in the meantime, all we have is this image. Oh, and expect a lot of new #1 issues.

One of the most iconic images to come out of Scott Snyder’s and Greg Capullo’s recent run on Batman was the twisted Joker “mask” made of his own face that he cut off, and then re-attached, in the Death of the Family story arc. Now one of the biggest names is movie make-up, arguably the biggest name, Rick Baker, known for his work on An American Werewolf in London, Men In Black, and even the original Star Wars (his IMDB credits are as big as it gets) has gone ahead and done his own homage to Greg Capullo’s work. You can see on example of Baker’s Capullo-esque Joker below, and to see more, click on the following link: [Comic Book Resources]

YouTube Comedy Team SMOSH Teams Up With Dynamite Entertainment

The YouTube based comedy team known as SMOSH have announced that they are coming together with publisher Dynamite Entertainment for a new line of comics. SMOSH is the name of duo Anthony Padilla and Ian Andrew Hecox, and their YouTube channel network is said to have over 30 million subscribers.

Although no titles have been announced yet, Padilla and Hecox will be involved in every aspect of their creation, which will include working on new as well as already existing character. Although no official release date is set for their first comic, the first title from the partnership is expected to be come out sometime this winter. [The Hollywood Reporter]

If you’ve been reading Marvel’s Secret Wars at all, you know that Thanos is poised to be a major player in that story, not to mention the role he’ll play in the MCU in the years ahead. Now as a variant cover for issue #4 of Secret Wars, Thanos’ creator Jim Starlin returns to illustrate the character he originally brought to life some forty years ago. Secret Wars #4 is brought to you be the creative team of Jonathan Hickman and Esad Ribic, with the main cover being illustrated by Alex Ross. Below is the variant cover, with Thanos as drawn by his creator, along with other members of his cabal, including Namor and Terrax. [Newsarama]

Is DC Going To Start Sharing Story Pages With Ads Again?

Think your average comic book has way too many ads? Well, if you do, then you’re probably not going to love this news. It looks like DC is going to be publishing ads on the same pages as artwork, a practice that was done a long time ago, although it was mostly done away with by the eighties. According to Bleeding Cool, their sources are telling them that DC Comics are planning to run half-page double spread ads in their print comics soon. As a result, creators have been told to draft their story breaking in mind that one page will be split into two for the print comic – but also that it will be recombined for the collected edition. If this turns out to be correct, how long before Marvel and others follow suit? [Bleeding Cool]

Nominees Announced For First Ever Dwayne McDuffie Kid’s Comics Awards

The shortlist has been announced for the inaugural Dwayne McDuffie Award for Kids’ Comics, named in honor of the late great comics creator who helped create Milestone Comics and worked on the now-classic Justice League Unlimited animated series. The 10 finalists for the kids’ comics award were selected by three judges: Kids Read Comics co-founders Edith Donnell and Dan Merritt, and ROBOT 6 contributor Brigid Alverson, who edits the School Library Journal’s Good Comics for Kids blog.

The winner of the inaugural award will be announced at the Kids Read Comics festival, held June 20-21 at the Ann Arbor District Library in Michigan. Among the finalists in the competition are such books as Bird and Squirrel on Ice by James Burks, Costume Quest: Invasion of the Candy Snatchers by Zac Gorman, and The Magical Monsters of Turkey Hollow by Jim Henson and Jerry Juhl, adapted and illustrated by Roger Langridge. For the full line-up of nominees, click on the following link: [Comic Book Resources]

Bryan Hitch, who made his name several years back drawing The Authority for Wildstorm, and then helped Mark Millar usher in The Ultimates, which was a huge influence on Marvel’s Avengers film, is now coming back to DC in June, and helping them launch their all-new Justice League of America series, featuring the big seven heroes in big widescreen action. The first issue will feature a total of seven different covers featuring the individual members of the League, which together form one big interlocking image from Hitch. Let’s hope that Hitch’s JLA is as much an influence on Zack Snyder’s Justice League movie as Ultimates was on The Avengers. Check out all seven covers in the gallery below: [USA Today]

]]>Exclusive: DC Comics Unveils 10 New CONVERGENCE Mini-Serieshttp://nerdist.com/exclusive-dc-comics-unveils-10-new-convergence-mini-series/
http://nerdist.com/exclusive-dc-comics-unveils-10-new-convergence-mini-series/#commentsTue, 25 Nov 2014 14:00:53 +0000http://www.nerdist.com/?p=204306Convergenceis coming to the DC Universe and, fittingly, each week more and more pieces of the puzzle behind DC Comics‘ forthcoming two-month event are coming together. The sprawling crossover event, which debuts in April 2015, the thirtieth anniversary of Crisis on Infinite Earths, finds Brainiac collecting cities, planets, and entire worlds from across the DC Comics multiverse, placing them in domes, and then opening them up to see what happens when the characters from these disparate worlds come into contact with one another. Spoiler alert: it’s probably not going to end well.

Over the past two weeks, DC has unveiled 20 mini-series that will run alongside the primary storyline of Convergence. In addition to the core storyline, DC Comics will publish 40 different tie-in mini-series and today we have an exclusive sneak peek at 10 more of those titles, including 5 pieces of never-before-seen interior art that feature the return of Brainiac-5 and the Legion of Super-Heroes, Hawkman and Hawkgirl battling anthropomorphic rat-men, The Flash trapped in Gotham City, and much more.

Here is your first look at 10 more mini-series coming to the DC Universe as part of Convergence:

Superman and Supergirl try to escape the city through the Phantom Zone, but they enter a portion they’ve never seen before and learn that Supergirl is destined to die if they return to their proper time and dimension. True story.

WONDER WOMAN

Writer: Larry Hama
Art and Color: Josh Middleton

White-jumpsuit-clad Diana Prince is in the grips of a Domesday cult when her lover Steve Trevor leaps into the fray to save Etta Candy from vampires of Red Rain.

Trapped in Gotham, Barry Allen has nowhere to run. He fights on, seeking justice as well as a way to save the city. But he faces a Tangent Universe foe that thinks faster than the Flash could ever move.

Get ready to learn which Marvel comics hero is getting ready to kick the bucket, see some brand-new Destinygameplay, hear all about Xbox Entertainment Studios’ upcoming development slate, and celebrate the (albeit totally expected) announcement of an upcoming Justice League mega-movie! See? Fire.

Thanks for enjoying today’s show, come and see us again tomorrow, and let us know in the comments below who you hope to see assembled for the cinematic Justice League!

]]>http://nerdist.com/nerdist-news-the-justice-league-movie-is-happening/feed/12JUSTICE LEAGUE UNITED #0 Reviewhttp://nerdist.com/justice-league-united-0-review/
http://nerdist.com/justice-league-united-0-review/#commentsWed, 23 Apr 2014 20:45:09 +0000http://www.nerdist.com/?p=135629Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz famously said, “My, people come and go so quickly here.” That quote could easily be applied to the cast of Justice League of America, a book that was launched barely a year ago and is now ending its run next month already. We barely knew the team of J’onn Jonzz, Stargirl, Catwoman, Vibe, Katana, Hawkman, Green Lantern Simon Baz, and Green Arrow before they were caught up in the crossover frenzy of Forever Evil, which will (presumably) disband their ranks, as this book picks up after the team is no more. The final issue of Justice League of America hits next month; Justice League United spins off the ending of JLA, but is actually coming out before the end of JLA. I know, it’s confusing.

I will say that I automatically liked this book better than Justice League of America, and we are just one issue in, despite using many of the same cast members and essentially being a sequel series of a sort. The premise of JLA was that the U.S. government set up a super team to take down the “big seven” of the real Justice League should the need arise. It’s a storyline that was done better on the Justice League Unlimited cartoon about ten years ago, and with writer Geoff Johns leaving the title early on, JLA just never really gained its momentum again. I guess I can see why the powers-that-be at DC decided to just start from scratch… again. Plus, hey, a new #1 issue never hurts in the sales department. Getting a hot writer like Jeff Lemire to take the reins also probably prompted another good reason to start over.

Originally announced as Justice League Canada, DC had a change of heart and re-titled the book Justice League United, although the team’s headquarters will still be in Canada, they have a native Canadian member (a Cree Nation heroine named Equinox whose back story is touched on in this zero issue, although she doesn’t actually meet her future teammates just yet), and the logo now has a cute little Canadian maple leaf in the letter “D” of United. Maybe they were afraid they’d become a punchline like Alpha Flight at Marvel, who knows? The main storyline is still called “Justice League Canada”, so they’re not totally shying away from the concept. I guess JLU has a better ring to it than JLC.

The book opens with the team attacking a space station where aliens are doing experiments on kidnapped children of various alien races. At this point, we see that the team consists of former JLA members Martian Manhunter, Green Arrow, and Stargirl, along with newcomers Supergirl, Animal Man, and what appears to be Adam Strange. From here we flashback to “three days before” – it’s obviously some time after the events of Forever Evil, and although the outcome of said crossover is not really referenced too much, it’s fair to say the good guys win, but the JLA splits up as a result. Now seemingly forced to get by signing at fan conventions (that was fast), Stargirl and Animal Man encounter what at first they think is a crazy fan, but it turns out to be none other than Dr. Adam Strange, in his first New 52 appearance. Not quite a space jockey yet, but just an anthropologist who was working a dig in northern Ontario when his assistant (and girlfriend) vanished into thin air. Ignored by the regular authorities, he seeks some help of the superheroic kind.

Adam Strange convinces the two heroes to check out the site where his girlfriend vanished, and of course, aliens attack, as they tend to do in these circumstances. Luckily, two of Stargirl’s former JLA teammates, Martian Manhunter and Green Arrow, show up to help when Stargirl activates her JLA distress call (seriously, Vibe and Katana were too busy to show up?). Now, this is where the book gets fun, and is very, very reminiscent of the classic late ’80s/early ’90s run of Justice League International, from the writing duo of Keith Giffen and J.M. DeMatteis (who are currently writing Justice League 3000) where the emphasis was as much on comedy as it was on superheroics. Green Arrow openly mocks Animal Man and his powers, Stargirl snickers, and J’onn has to be the straight man and remind everyone that they’re in public and have to behave like grown ups. I could have sworn we were dealing with Blue Beetle and Booster Gold here in an old issue of JLI.. and that’s a good thing. Another reason it probably reminded me so much of the classic JLI years is no doubt due to the art of Mike McKone, who got his start years ago drawing issues of the Justice League International team. His art has only improved with time, and it was welcome to see his pencils again after what seemed like a long time.

Although there is nothing Earth-shatteringly new in this book, it has an old school charm that is fun to read, and so far I like this team, and although future members Hawkman, Supergirl and new character Equinox haven’t joined yet, we know they’re coming. Writer Jeff Lemire, who just completed the recent run of Animal Man, brings a different tone to this book, and shows how much range he has as a writer, as this book reads really differently from Animal Man, despite the fact that the character is a main cast member here. With so many of the New 52 books being hell bent on being so much “darker and grittier”, it’s refreshing to see one that seems intent on being light and fun. For now, that’s enough to get me to stick around.

RECOMMENDED

]]>http://nerdist.com/justice-league-united-0-review/feed/2Cheers! It’s a JUSTICE LEAGUE ST. PATRICK’S DAY Spectacular!http://nerdist.com/cheers-its-a-justice-league-st-patricks-day-spectacular/
Thu, 13 Mar 2014 17:02:58 +0000http://www.nerdist.com/?p=122549When Tony Stark hits the bottle, things get downright depressing. When the members of the Justice League knock back a few cold ones, things get interesting. This St. Patrick’s Day, the Justice League decides to make the most of happy hour, enjoying all manner of cheap green beer, good company, and the kind of frank, slurred confessions that not even the Lasso of Truth could elicit. Will Superman ever get to the point? Will Green Lantern be able to finally flag down a bartender? Will Aquaman and Batman need dialysis machines? Only time will tell on the sauciest Justice League Holiday Special yet from the Nerdist Channel.

Friends don’t let friends drink and fight supervillains, so please celebrate responsibly. You should, however, subscribe to the Nerdist Channel with reckless abandon. What holiday would you like to see the Justice League celebrate? Let us know in the comments below.

]]>Nerdist News: THE WALKING DEAD Season 4.5, Danica McKellar, JUSTICE LEAGUE, and AGENT CARTER!http://nerdist.com/nerdist-news-the-walking-dead-season-4-5-danica-mckellar-justice-league-and-agent-carter/
http://nerdist.com/nerdist-news-the-walking-dead-season-4-5-danica-mckellar-justice-league-and-agent-carter/#commentsSat, 18 Jan 2014 00:06:15 +0000http://www.nerdist.com/?p=106374WEEKEND! Am I right, guys? Time to kick back with the ol’ PS4, watch some Battlestar Galactica Blus, and knock back a few cold ones. After you get your Friday dose of Nerdist News, of course.

PLUS, we’ve got special guest Danica McKellar (Math Doesn’t Suck, Kiss My Math) in the house to tell us all about her new Nerdist Channel series, Math Bites!

Have a fun weekend, friends, and tell us in the comments below: how have you been liking Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.? Will you tune in to Agent Carter?

]]>http://nerdist.com/nerdist-news-the-walking-dead-season-4-5-danica-mckellar-justice-league-and-agent-carter/feed/4Comic Book Day: Pull List for October 16, 2013http://nerdist.com/comic-book-day-pull-list-for-october-16-2013/
http://nerdist.com/comic-book-day-pull-list-for-october-16-2013/#commentsWed, 16 Oct 2013 07:01:50 +0000http://www.nerdist.com/?p=93417In between watching Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and fretting over who is going to play Ant-Man in Edgar Wright’s movie, make it a point of interest to head down to your local comic book store because it’s Comic Book Day, you guys, and that’s what you do! After the excitement of NYCC (a new Serenity book on the way?!), it’s understandable that you might be a bit overwhelmed. You know what we recommend? Put the lime in the coconut, read your body weight in comics, then call us in the morning.

The latest from Oni Press finds newly inaugurated President-Elect Stephen Blades facing the most difficult crisis of his political career and any political career, for that matter: three years ago, a mission was launched to investigate a mining operation in an asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. This has been kept secret from the American people for good reason – the mining operation isn’t human in nature. Welcome to the world of Letter 44. A solid debut issue from Charles Soule, Letter 44‘s premise may seem silly at first glance, but its stark black-and-white art (in my preview copy at least) and generous helping of mystery, which is slowly doled out over the course of the first issue, makes for a truly compelling read. With a diverse, memorable cast of characters and some truly inspired lettering by our own Shawn DePasquale, Oni Press has the beginning of something special on their hands, so don’t let this fantastic book escape your orbit.

S.H.O.O.T.First #1 | Justin Aclin and Nicolas Daniel Selma

No, it isn’t r/atheism turned into a comic book; the latest creator-owned series from Justin Aclin, S.H.O.O.T. First, has a simple premise: all of those terrible creatures from the Bible, Koran, etc… they’re real and they’re actively trying to destroy the world. Each faction – angels, djinns, elves, yetis, you name it – is trying to bring about the apocalypse in their own way, powered by the belief people put in them. Combining the fantastical paranormal crime solving of B.P.R.D. with the espionage-laden action comedy of something like Danger Girl, S.H.O.O.T. First is a rollicking, fast-paced story that puts an awful lot on the table in its first issue, which puts us smack dab in the middle of a crisis of faith turned into a real crisis. It can be quite a bit to absorb, but if you take the time, it’s a worthwhile read and I have the distinct feeling it’s only going to get better from here.

After seeing the fallout of Forever Evil and the Crime Syndicate wreaking havoc on the tattered remains of the Justice League, issue #8 catches us up on what happened to our supposedly dead heroes. Surprise, surprise — they’re not deceased; rather, they’re in the psychological torture equivalent of Arcade’s Murderworld, a man-made prison with multiple levels designed to incapacitate individual members of the Justice Leauge. Wonder Woman is locked in eternal battle and crippled by self-doubt, The Flash has his lightning quick reflexes used against him, Simon Baz must confront ugly truths, or at least perceived ones. It’s a powerful, sinister piece of writing from Matt Kindt that really gives us a horrific look at the nefarious extents to which the Crime Syndicate went to disable their counterparts. The quiet introspection of Martian Manhunter coupled with the sassy, bubblegum personality of Stargirl makes for truly enjoyable narrators to takes us through this nightmarish Panopticon, but what I’m really craving right now is the next issue.

What’s on your pull list this week? Let us know in the comments below or let me know on Twitter!

]]>http://nerdist.com/comic-book-day-pull-list-for-october-16-2013/feed/4Comic Book Day: Pull List for August 14th, 2013http://nerdist.com/comic-book-day-pull-list-for-august-14th-2013/
http://nerdist.com/comic-book-day-pull-list-for-august-14th-2013/#commentsWed, 14 Aug 2013 07:01:19 +0000http://www.nerdist.com/?p=86112Brace your wallets for impact, because this week’s Comic Book Day haul is a doozy! Marvel mastermind Jonathan Hickman’s evil plans are finally coming to fruition in Infinity #1, Jeff Lemire and Geoff Johns continue to rend the DCU asunder as the Justice Leagues three wage a righteous “Trinity War”, and Robert Kirkman continues to hammer home his point that the scariest part of the zombie apocalypse is those of us who are left alive. Read on and prepare to continually freak out at the scope of this week’s pull list, because it’s the stuff of which comic book readers’ dreams are made.

Top Picks

Infinity #1 | Jonathan Hickman, Jim Cheung, and Mark Morales

You may want to put down a pillow or something, because after this 64 page super-sized first issue, your jaw is going to hit the floor. For years now, Jonathan Hickman has been slowly laying the groundwork for his Marvel Universe-spanning epic that unites the Cosmic and Earth-based sides of the Marvel coin, laying hints and breadcrumbs in Avengers and New Avengers. The Mad Titan himself, Thanos, is back, and he’s out for blood. From the Illuminati to the Inhumans to the Builders and beyond, no one is safe from Hickman’s narrative scope. Jim Cheung and Mark Morales offer up some truly breathtaking panels, alternating from the still serenity of a cityscape to the kinetic, visceral violence of transdimensional assassin Outrider trying to escape from the Inhuman kingdom of Attilan.

For a first issue that has to cover an awful lot of ground, Hickman keeps the pace moving faster than a Quinjet, leaping from chapter to chapter and leaving us breathless but craving more in the process. This feels like a real event about to unfold, and one that we certainly don’t want to miss. Whatever you do, don’t let Infinity #1 escape your orbit.

There’s a time and a place for smaller, more thoughtful indie books, but there’s also a time and a place for huge crossover events, and that time is right now! The mystery surrounding Pandora’s Box heats up as the three Justice Leagues of the DCU continue to try to solve the mystery of why Superman killed Doctor Light, who’s behind the villainous Secret Society, and how to use Pandora’s Box to save the day. Unfortunately, tensions are running high, as the three teams begin to realize they weren’t quite on the same page, truths about Kahndaq come out, and both mythical and metahuman shit prepares to hit the fan. Johns and Lemire are doing an excellent job at dangling the carrot enough to keep us on our toes and trying to solve this mystery, and Mahnke and Alamy continue to hit it out of the park, especially in their larger panels where they pack in a plethora of heroes. So far, this has been one of the best summers on record for massive event books and “Trinity War” is definitely at the top of my must-read list.

The Walking Dead #113 | Robert Kirkman and Charlie Adlard

As much as I love The Walking Dead television show, it pales in comparison to the way the comic can continually punch you in the gut, drain the blood from your face, and outright shock you. Plus, Andrea is a stone cold badass in the comics and continues to kick more ass than is legal in most states. While Negan may seem like another version of the Governor, he is closer to a sociopathic, murderous Peter Parker or Billy Butcher from The Boys in terms of how he balances his fits and bursts of abject violence with a constant stream of morbidly witter banter. It creates an incredible sense of tension that cannot be achieved with just threats and violence alone; it’s what makes a villain like the Joker so brutally effective. This is all a joke to Negan, and he’s the one laughing, because he’s got the post-apocalypse figured out. Rick and the survivors are in dire straits after their ambush was then in turn ambushed by Negan’s brigade of hidden commandos, and now Negan has a hard on for breaking Rick. Killing him would be too easy – Negan has to make a point. This is the grisliest version of Seven Samurai that I’ve ever seen, and it’s only a matter of time before these blood-soaked seeds bloom into “All Out War.” And I, for one, cannot wait.

]]>http://nerdist.com/comic-book-day-pull-list-for-august-14th-2013/feed/1Comic Book Day: Ivan Reis Launches “Trinity War”‘s Opening Salvohttp://nerdist.com/comic-book-day-ivan-reis-launches-trinity-wars-opening-salvo/
http://nerdist.com/comic-book-day-ivan-reis-launches-trinity-wars-opening-salvo/#commentsTue, 09 Jul 2013 00:00:16 +0000http://www.nerdist.com/?p=81754Unless your hometown has been shrunken to minuscule proportions by Brainiac and stored in a makeshift terrarium, you must be aware that “Trinity War”, DC’s epic summer slufgest featuring all three Justice League teams, kicks off in earnest this coming Wednesday with part 1 in Justice League #22. We’ve already spoken with writers Geoff Johns and Jeff Lemire about what to expect, and artist Doug Mahnke about bringing it to life, and now we’re talking to artist extraordinaire Ivan Reis about taking the colossal comic from concept to reality.

Nerdist: You had a dynamite run on Aquaman, then moved to a larger team book like Justice League. How did that compare? Was it more challenging?

Ivan Reis: Thanks. It’s always a bigger challenge when you take over a group book, especially if the group is formed by the Earth’s coolest heroes. I think that the biggest challenge, though, is to handle the pressure to make them work together, visually speaking, and keep the book as popular as it’s always been.

N: Did your work on Justice League prepare you for a massive crossover event like “Trinity War”?

IR: Well, all of us, the whole art team (me, Joe Prado and Rod Reis) started out on Justice League on a big crossover, not as big as Trinity War, but big and important. It was a great warm-up for all of us.

N: That giant 3-team spread you did for the “Trinity War” teasers is magnificent. Tell us about your process when tackling a massive piece like that.

IR: Thanks a lot! It was really fun and gratifying to work on that triple-cover. My biggest concern and challenge was to find the right layout for it to work as a whole, as well as 3 separated covers, each one focusing on the main characters of each of the 3 Justice League books. The outcome was amazing, and Joe (Prado) and Rod (Reis) helped a LOT.

N: Tell us a bit about “Trinity War” and what we can expect. Did you have a favorite fight or character pairing to draw?

IR: SHAZAM vs. SUPERMAN! This is one of the fights that I loved to draw the most EVER! The first chapter of “Trinity War” is very intense and full of special moments, but, hey! You’ll have to read the book to find out the specifics!

N: Ugh, but we want to know now! Many of our readers are aspiring artists themselves. What’s something that you know now that you wish you knew when you were first starting out?

IR: Work in comics is no easy task, and demands a LOT of your time and dedication. A whole life worth of learning. But the secret is to draw like a professional, but enjoy the whole thing as a FAN!

N: What comics are you reading an enjoying right now?

IR: Ah! Time is short for me these days! I’m totally dedicated to Justice League and Trinity War, but always a manage to find a little time to catch-up on my reading pile, but more as a study form, you know?

—

“Trinity War” kicks off in earnest with Part 1 in Wednesday’s Ivan Reis-illustrated Justice League #22. Keep up with all the mayhem on DC’s handy checklist and let us know in the comments below

]]>http://nerdist.com/comic-book-day-ivan-reis-launches-trinity-wars-opening-salvo/feed/1Comic Book Day: Preparing for “Trinity War” with Geoff Johns and Jeff Lemirehttp://nerdist.com/comic-book-day-preparing-for-trinity-war-with-geoff-johns-and-jeff-lemire/
http://nerdist.com/comic-book-day-preparing-for-trinity-war-with-geoff-johns-and-jeff-lemire/#commentsWed, 01 May 2013 13:00:48 +0000http://www.nerdist.com/?p=73918Since the inception of DC’s New 52 Universe, we have slowly, but surely been building towards one massive, catastrophic event: Trinity War. Since its reveal on last year’s Free Comic Book Day, readers have speculated what exactly could prompt some of the DCU’s biggest heroes to take up arms against one another. Revolving around the Trinity of Sin – Pandora, The Question and the Phantom Stranger – Trinity War will pit the Justice League, Justice League of America, and Justice League Dark against one another in an action-murder-mystery that will shake the DCU to its core. Although we have to wait until July for the six issue series to kick off, I was able to catch up with the event’s architects, Geoff Johns and Jeff Lemire, who gave us the inside scoop on what to expect, unexpected team-ups and battles, and who their favorite character to write was. So, brace yourselves because if the above artwork by Ivan Reis is any indication, Trinity War is going to be a bumpy ride.

Nerdist: Trinity War – we’re very excited for it. Is this basically the biggest PSA against inter-office relationships? What can we expect from this massive event?

Geoff Johns: Well, that’s pretty close. [laughs] I don’t know if you’ve seen the image out there, the covers for the first three parts that Ivan [Reis] did of all the heroes at war. Ivan and Joe [Prado] really did a great job on it. It sells an idea of obvious conflict between the three Justice Leagues, but when Geoff and I first tackled this story, we really wanted to make it, on first glance, hero vs. hero – and that’s definitely in there – but it’s also very philosophical. The story is so action-driven, but there’s a mystery there too. There’s kind of a controversial death that happens in issue one; it’s the death and the circumstances around it that kicks off the mystery, pitting the teams against each other and eventually the team members themselves. You know, kind of choosing different sides for a specific reason. When Geoff and I got together, we really wanted to focus on the mystery element, because I think we have a lot of great reveals we’ve planted in the books for some time now. In particular, Jeff’s issues really feed into that. I wish we could talk about it more. In the first issue, something happens that really defines what the story’s going to be about, but without spoiling it, it’s a little hard to get specific.

N: So this death is the primary catalyst that sends the DCU into all-out war?

GJ: Yeah, it’s definitely a catalyst for what that battle is. I think Trinity War as a title is a little misleading too because it isn’t just about these three Justice Leagues; there’s the Trinity of Sin, these three mysterious characters, and the answer to what the Trinity actually is and what the Trinity actually means will come out as well.

N: Let’s talk about the Trinity of Sin – Pandora, The Phantom and The Question. From their names alone, they ooze mystery. What’s the appeal of these characters such a major part of the story?

GJ: Well, Jeff, I think you can talk about The Question…

Jeff Lemire: The Question embodies mystery – it’s who he is. Like Jeff said, the story really is a big murder mystery, so he exemplifies that aspect of the story. The idea of the three Leagues, the Trinity, it’s sort of this underlying thing we’ve structured the whole story around. Each of those characters in the Trinity of Sin represents one aspect of the story that will unfold. You know, Phantom Stranger and Pandora have been seen quite a bit now, but The Question, he’s still a mystery – who he is, what he is, what his motivations are – so this is kind of his coming out party. He plays a pretty major role.

GJ: We’re taking kind of a cue from the animated series where he’s really bound in conspiracies and stuff, but this is a bigger one. The questions in his mind that kind of haunt him are things that he has to answer. He’ll be front and center at the mystery of it all.

N: Without spoiling anything, can you give us a hint of some of the superpowered slugfests we can look forward to?

GJ: I don’t know if you’ve read Justice League of America, but the team has been designed specifically to take on the Justice League, so some of those battles will come into play. Like Hawkman vs. Aquaman, Katana vs. Wonder Woman, and you’ll see Shazam take on Superman, which I always think is a lot of fun. Especially this Billy Batson/Shazam that’s more willing to throw the hardest punch he can to see what happens. You’ll see lots of confrontations; I mean, on the cover, you can see Wonder Woman with her lasso around Constantine’s neck, which has got to be the worst thing to ever happen to him. [laughs] So, there’ll be a lot of confrontations that you’ll see, and a lot of team-ups too. There are lots of characters doing a big Justice League event that’s specific to the teams. You’ll see these characters confront one another, team up, and figure out why they need to team up. Some of these groups don’t necessarily stay together; in fact, they don’t come out the same way they came in.

JL: As much as it is about heroes fighting one another, it’s also about seeing unexpected friendships develop, which is cool.

N: Speaking of unexpected friendships, who has been your favorite character to thrust into the spotlight that you didn’t anticipate going in?

GJ: For me, I’ve got to say – and I didn’t expect this at all – but I think Madame Xanadu. She’s actually the first character; I open up with her, and I wound up really, really liking her. She’s kind of an obscure character, but I really enjoyed writing her, and then, on the Justice League side, I find Superman and Batman are always a blast. Superman, in particular, especially with what happens throughout the issues of this storyline – he’s been the most fun to write.

JL: I’m surprised at how big of a role Madame Xanadu wound up taking in the actual story. That wasn’t something that we’d initially planned on. It came about in the scripting stage, which is cool. For me, I’m writing Green Arrow now, his solo book, and I was kind of surprised how fun it was to write that same character in a group setting, y’know, these group scenes.

N: Writing for one Justice League must be challenging enough, but what sort of challenges are involved in constructing and managing a massive event like this with three of the biggest teams in the DCU?

GJ: There’s a lot of challenges. I don’t think Jeff and I can give enough credit to the artists we’re working with on this – Ivan, Doug [Mahnke], and Mikel [Janin]. You can see that cover that Ivan did. We’re trying to tell the biggest story we can with all these characters, but without them, this story wouldn’t work. I think the challenges are that you have thirty characters here, and that’s a lot of characters. You want to keep the scope big, you want to see these characters team up. It’s really fun to see, but at the same time, there’s got to be an emotional core to the story. And that’s really the focus: who’s story is it? What is it all about? When Jeff and I sat down to hash it out, we said the laser is going to come in on these characters and this is the emotional through-line, this is what it’s all about. There’s a lot of characters and plot to juggle.

JL: The sheer choreography of all the characters throughout the issues itself can be a challenge. As a writer, you want to keep it lively, but also keep it personal and character-driven.

N: From more of a logistical standpoint, this will be a six issue series, but will it be its own separate Trinity War book or spread across the Justice League books?

GJ: It will just be in Justice League, Justice League of America and Justice League Dark, so six issues in July and August in the Justice League titles. We wanted to focus on the teams, define the teams and redefine them. Something is going to happen at the end that’s going to blow up a lot of stuff and change the layout. I think we’re going to be talking about it soon, but specifically in these three Justice League titles.

N: I’m sure it will have a pretty big impact on the DCU as a whole, but will there be tie-in books too in other titles?

GJ: There’s a couple books that have tie-ins. You don’t have to read them to get the whole story. There’s Constantine #5 in July that’s a Constantine/Shazam team-up that sort of spins out of what’s going on in Trinity War. It’s a really great story by Ray Fawkes. You’ve got Billy Batson who’s street smart and John Constantine who’s also… street smart – seeing how those two guys work together… I don’t know if you’ve read the Shazam stuff, but he’s different than past iterations.

N: He seems a little bit more contentious than the Billy Batsons we’ve seen in the past.

GJ: Yeah, he’s a good-hearted kid, but he’s got a chip on his shoulder. He doesn’t trust adults, so Constantine is probably the most distrusting person there is. It’s always fun to see them together. I think Ray did a great job. Then there’s Phantom Stranger #11 from [J.M.] DeMatteis and Pandora, also by Ray, which are going to have tie-ins as well. We’ll also finally answer what the hell is in that box and what that box is all about!

So, there you have it, friends. It looks like Trinity War is going to leave a trail of bodies and questions in its wake. What are you hoping to see happen once it drops in July? Let us know in the comments below.